Zhang Hao collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The clamor from around the fighting ring surged like a wave, enveloping Zhong Yun.
He steadied his stance and slowly let out a foul breath. This match had been even more arduous than he had imagined; if not for the risky move of a swordsmanship technique he had happened to learn by chance in the past at the very last moment, the one lying on the ground at this moment would likely have been him.
Within the crowd, Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo wore ashen expressions. Never had they imagined that Zhong Yun would actually win.
"This brat, he really got lucky!" Qian Duoduo said, gritting his teeth.
Zhao Hu's face was gloomy, his gaze fixed on Zhong Yun like a poisonous snake. "Hmph, so what if he wins? Once he has offended us, he can forget about having an easy life in the Qingyun Sect from now on!"
Zhong Yun acutely sensed the two malicious gazes. He turned his gaze toward the crowd, locking eyes instantly with the fierce and venomous stares of Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo.
A cold smirk hooked the corner of his mouth; these two truly were like lingering ghosts that refused to disperse.
"Zhong Yun, come with me for a moment." The aloof voice sounded like jade stones striking one another, instantly drowning out the surrounding clamor.
Following the sound, Zhong Yun saw a woman dressed in white standing at the outer edge of the crowd. Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her appearance was refined and transcendent, resembling a celestial fairy from the nine heavens whom people dared not look upon directly.
It was Shen Yao! A slight ripple stirred in Zhong Yun's heart. Ever since their chance encounter in the Scripture Pavilion last time, they had not seen each other once.
He suppressed the doubt in his heart and walked toward Shen Yao.
"You did very well." Shen Yao's voice remained aloof, but Zhong Yun caught a trace of imperceptible praise within it.
"Many thanks for the praise, Senior Sister Shen," Zhong Yun said modestly.
Shen Yao gave a slight nod, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the distance.
Zhong Yun silently followed behind her, his heart filled with doubt: why had Shen Yao suddenly come to find him?
The two walked one after the other into a bamboo grove in the back mountain of the Qingyun Sect. Shen Yao stopped, turned around to look at Zhong Yun, and asked, "Do you know what kind of people you offended today?"
A ripple stirred in Zhong Yun's heart. Could it be that Shen Yao had come specifically to find him for this matter?
"This disciple does not know," he answered truthfully.
"You have offended the outer sect disciples Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo. These two possess quite a bit of influence within the sect. You caused them to completely lose face today, and they certainly will not let the matter rest."
Shen Yao's tone was calm, yet it carried a trace of worry.
Warmth filled Zhong Yun's heart; he knew Shen Yao was concerned about him.
"Many thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister Shen. This disciple will be careful," he said solemnly.
Shen Yao nodded slightly, and just as she was about to say more, her brows suddenly furrowed, and her gaze turned toward the depths of the bamboo grove.
"Someone is coming."
Just as her voice fell, several figures walked out from the depths of the bamboo grove.
At the head was a short, plump middle-aged man with a round, protruding belly. His face was piled with smiles, resembling a Maitreya Buddha and immediately inspiring goodwill in anyone who saw him.
Following behind him was an old man dressed in a cyan robe. His features were lean and refined, and his eyes were bright and piercing, radiating an unangered majesty.
"Fatty Wang? Elder Li?" Zhong Yun recognized the newcomers at a glance, an expression of surprise appearing on his face.
Fatty Wang was a steward of the Qingyun Sect's outer sect, smooth and worldly with quite a few connections within the sect; Elder Li was an elder of the outer sect's Enforcement Hall, upright and stern, and enjoyed considerable prestige among the disciples.
Why had these two suddenly appeared here?
"Junior Sister Shen, little friend Zhong Yun, sorry to intrude." Fatty Wang gave a smiling salute, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Zhong Yun and Shen Yao with a hint of ambiguous amusement in his eyes.
"Senior Brother Wang is joking. I wonder what important business brings the two of you here today?" Shen Yao asked indifferently.
"It is like this," Fatty Wang put away his smile and said with a serious expression, "I heard that those two little fellows, Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo, have recently been inquiring about little friend Zhong Yun's whereabouts, seemingly wanting to take revenge on him. That's why I came specifically to remind him to be extremely careful."
"Oh? Is this matter true?" Shen Yao's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a flash of cold light crossing her eyes.
"Absolutely true! Although I, Fatty Wang, am fond of taking small advantages, in a matter like this, I would never speak recklessly." Fatty Wang patted his chest in assurance.
Elder Li, standing to the side, also nodded and said in a deep voice, "Relying on their family's influence, Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo run amok in the outer sect and bully their fellow disciples. This old man has long found them an eyesore. Little friend Zhong Yun need not worry; with this old man here, they won't dare to do anything to you!"
Warmth filled Zhong Yun's heart. He had not expected these two to come and remind him specifically; it seemed his previous impression in their minds was not bad.
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Wang and Elder Li. Zhong Yun will remember this kindness!" he said gratefully.
"We are all fellow sect brothers, no need to be so courteous." Fatty Wang waved his hand, then shifted the conversation. "However, Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo are, after all, top-tier talents among the outer sect disciples and have some backing behind them. To deal with them, relying solely on a few old fellows like us won't do; you still need to have sufficient strength of your own."
Naturally understanding what he meant, Zhong Yun cupped his fists and said, "Senior Brother Wang, rest assured. I know what I must do."
Fatty Wang and Elder Li exchanged a glance, nodded in satisfaction, and then took their leave.
Watching their retreating backs, Shen Yao turned to look at Zhong Yun, a trace of complex emotion flashing in her eyes. "It seems your trouble is not small."
The warnings from Fatty Wang and Elder Li undoubtedly cast a shadow over Zhong Yun's previously peaceful cultivation life.
Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo—he was naturally no stranger to these two; they were precisely the outer sect disciples he had disciplined earlier.
Sure enough, trouble quickly found him.
On this day, Zhong Yun was practicing his swordsmanship in the back mountain's bamboo grove when he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps approaching.
Raising his head, he saw several disciples clad in cyan robes striding toward him aggressively, led by none other than Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo.
"Zhong Yun, how bold of you to dare steal from the sect treasury!" Zhao Hu pointed right at Zhong Yun's nose and shouted angrily.
"Steal from the sect treasury?" Zhong Yun was initially startled, then sneered. "Which of your eyes saw me steal from the sect treasury? Speaking requires evidence!"
"Hmph! Still trying to argue!" Qian Duoduo sneered coldly, pulled a jade pendant from his bosom, and hoisted it high above his head. "This jade pendant is the token of the sect treasury. Now that it has turned up on your person, do you still dare claim you didn't steal from the sect treasury?"
Zhong Yun looked closely and saw that the jade pendant was indeed the token of the sect treasury, but he could be certain he had never laid eyes on it before.
"This jade pendant is not mine; you must be framing me!" Zhong Yun said in a deep voice.
"Framing you? How laughable! You are merely a lowly errand disciple, why would we bother framing you?" Zhao Hu sneered. "I see you refuse to shed a tear until you see your own coffin!"
With that, he gave a great wave of his hand, and the disciples behind him swarmed forward, surrounding Zhong Yun tightly.
"What do you want?" Zhong Yun's heart tightened as he demanded sternly.
"What do we want? Naturally, we're taking down a thief who stole from the sect treasury and handing him over to the Enforcement Hall for punishment!" Zhao Hu said with a ferocious grin.
Seeing that a fierce battle was unavoidable, an aloof voice suddenly rang out from outside the crowd: "Stop!"
Following the voice, the crowd watched as Shen Yao, dressed in white, walked out from the depths of the bamboo grove like a fairy.
"Senior Sister Shen!" Seeing Shen Yao appear, Zhao Hu and the others' expressions shifted slightly, but then their arrogant momentum returned. "Senior Sister Shen, this brat stole from the sect treasury, caught red-handed. We are merely clearing out the sect's trash!"
Ignoring Zhao Hu, Shen Yao walked straight up to Zhong Yun, carefully looked him over, and asked, "Did you really not steal from the sect treasury?"
"I did not," Zhong Yun answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I believe you," Shen Yao said indifferently. Although her tone was plain, it carried an unquestionable certainty.
"Senior Sister Shen, you..." Zhao Hu wanted to say more, but was stopped by a piercing look from Shen Yao.
"I will investigate this matter clearly. If he was wronged, I will certainly demand justice for him!" Shen Yao said coldly, her tone carrying a trace of chill.
Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo exchanged a glance, both flashing vicious looks, but intimidated by Shen Yao's imposing aura, they did not dare say more and sullenly led their men away.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Shen," Zhong Yun said gratefully.
"No need to thank me. I believe you are not that kind of person," Shen Yao said indifferently. "I will help you investigate this matter thoroughly."
"Mn." Zhong Yun nodded, a resolute gleam flashing in his eyes.
He knew this matter was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface; a much larger conspiracy must be hidden behind it.
And he had to uncover the truth to clear his name! After Shen Yao left, Zhong Yun began investigating the origin of the jade pendant on his own.
First, he ruled out the possibility that he had acquired the jade pendant himself, as he had never once set foot in the sect treasury.
Recalling the conflict with Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo at the marketplace that day, a thought stirred in his heart: could they have slipped the jade pendant onto him amidst the chaos?
To verify this guess, Zhong Yun decided to go to the marketplace to gather information.
He feigned casualness while inquiring among several rogue cultivators who frequently set up stalls whether they had seen Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo purchase a similar jade pendant.
Hard work pays off; an old man who sold talisman papers told Zhong Yun that he had once seen Qian Duoduo purchase a jade pendant in the black market that looked extremely similar to the token of the sect treasury.
Joy surged in Zhong Yun's heart—this was precisely the evidence he needed!
After thanking the old man, he immediately rushed back to the sect, preparing to report the matter to Shen Yao.
However, what Zhong Yun did not know was that his every move was being watched by someone lurking in secret.
"Senior Brother Zhao, that brat seems to have discovered something. What should we do now?" a shifty-eyed disciple reported to Zhao Hu.
"Hmph, this brat is certainly lucky to have escaped from Shen Yao's hands."
A vicious glint flashed in Zhao Hu's eyes. "Since he refuses a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame us for being impolite!"
"You mean..."
"Notify Qian Duoduo to gather all our manpower. Tonight, I will make this brat completely disappear!"
Night fell, and the entire sect was shrouded in tranquility.
Zhong Yun was organizing his thoughts in his room when he suddenly felt a powerful murderous intent locking onto him.
Startled, he knew the forces of Zhao Hu and Qian Duoduo had struck!
"Bang!"
The door was smashed open by immense force, and dozens of figures dressed in black, wielding sharp blades and radiating murderous intent, rushed inside.
"Zhong Yun, prepare to meet your maker!"
The leader in black was none other than Zhao Hu, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes as he struck a palm toward Zhong Yun's chest.
Quick-witted, Zhong Yun dodged Zhao Hu's attack sideways, simultaneously drawing his long sword and engaging the men in black in battle.
Though Zhong Yun's strength was not low, the enemy greatly outnumbered him, and every single one of them was an elite disciple; gradually, he began to lose ground.
"What should I do?"
Anxiety burned in Zhong Yun's heart; he knew his chances of surviving today were grim.
Right at that moment, he suddenly recalled an earth-shattering secret regarding the sect that he had accidentally uncovered while investigating the origin of the jade pendant...